Emirates – Oman Railroad: $1.5 Billion in Funding Arrives

The Hafeet Rail project will connect the UAE to the port of Sohar in Oman

Steps forward have been made in the construction of the Hafeet Rail project, which will connect Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to the port of Sohar in Oman, north of the capital Muscat.

According to Emirati newspaper Tha National, the project has received $1.5 billion in financing from a consortium of Emirati, Omani, regional, and international banks. A total of $2.5 billion will be required to build the rail line, which will facilitate commercial exchange and connectivity between the two Gulf countries.

Hafeet Rail is a joint venture between Etihad Rail of the United Arab Emirates, Oman Rail, and Mubadala Investment Company. It will develop a 238-kilometers-long infrastructure with 60 bridges, several tunnels, and will connect five major ports and various industrial zones of the two countries and reduce the travel time between Abu Dhabi and Sohar by 100 minutes. Freight trains will be able to move at speeds of up to 120 km/h, and there will also be the possibility of transporting passengers, including for the development of tourism, at a speed of 200 km/h.

The agreement was announced during the Global Rail 2024 World Rail Infrastructure Exhibition and Conference held in Abu Dhabi from October 8 to 10, 2024.